Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana announced that the workforce in the tourism sector increased by 2.5 percent, reaching a total of 25.01 million in 2024, corresponding with a rise in tourist arrivals in 2023-2024.

"In terms of workers' absorption, the number of tourism workers in 2024 was recorded at 25.01 million, growing by 2.5 percent from 24.41 million in 2023," she stated after a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace here on Wednesday.

With this growth, Wardhana expressed optimism that the tourism sector would continue to develop and contribute more to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the tourism sector in Indonesia showed a positive trend in tourist arrivals.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, foreign tourist arrivals reached 3.37 million, reflecting a growth of 10.3 percent compared to the same period in the previous year.

Domestic tourism also saw significant growth, with trips totaling 263.13 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting an increase of 23.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2023.

Overall, in 2024, the total number of foreign tourist arrivals was 13.74 million, an increase of 18 percent from 2023. Meanwhile, domestic tourist trips exceeded one billion, a growth of 22 percent from the previous year.

In this regard, Minister Wardhana expressed optimism regarding the tourism sector's potential to positively influence the national economy and generate more employment opportunities in the future.

"I am optimistic that the development of the tourism sector can continue and further encourage the contribution of the tourism sector to the growth of the national GDP," she remarked.

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